(All recognizable characters and events belong to JK Rowling.) "Do you think Gramps is coming this year?" asked a girl of 19 with short dirty blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. "Oh I hope not Jenny," answered Jenny's 19 year old cousin Amber.
The two cousins were sitting on Jenny's mother's worn brown leather couch. They were waiting for the rest of the Reed/Granger family to arrive.
"Girls," called Jenny's mother Carrie,"your Aunt Jean, Uncle John, and cousin Hermione will be here soon." "You mean bushy haired, buck toothed, no it all Hermy," questioned a disgusted Amber and Jenny looked at her mother with a look identical to her cousin. "Yes girls , and I expect you both to behave and be nice to her. No one has seen your cousin in 7 years, maybe she's different now." Scolded Carrie Reed. The two cousins then nodded their heads in false agreement as Carrie left the room. "Well at least the others will be here later today," said Jenny. "True," agreed Amber.
As the two girls sat debating over things to do over the week long reunion war hero Hermione Granger sat in the back seat of her parents forest green Rover.
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It had only been two weeks since Hermione had restored her parents memory so therefore only three weeks since the Final Battle. She was pondering over whether or not she should return to Hogwarts in September so she hardly noticed when her parents pulled in to her Aunt Carrie's driveway.
She really didn't want to go to the family reunion but she had promised her parents that she would go and stay at least three days since her family hadn't seen her since before she went to Hogwarts.
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Carrie Reed rushed to the door as soon as she heard her sister ring the doorbell to greet her sister and her family. "Jean, George how are you," Carrie greeted her sister and brother-in-law.
Right behind Jean and George Granger was a young women Carrie didn't recognize. She was of average height with chestnut brown hair loosely curled and honey brown eyes. "Hello Aunt Carrie," said the young women.Carrie gasped as soon as she realized that this young women as her youngest niece Hermione. She looked as if she had been through a war and barely made out alive. " Oh, Hermione dear I hardley recognized you there," exclaimed Carrie after she got over the initial shock of seeing her niece after 7 years.
"Girls come in here and greet your aunt, uncle, and cousin," called Carrie. At Carrie's words Amber and Jenny reluctantly walked to where there relatives were waiting for them. "Hi Aunt Jean, Uncle John, and Hermione," greeted the two girls without really looking at their family. "Amber, Jenny darlings how are you," exclaimed Jean Granger as she hugged each of her nieces in turn. The two girls then turned to their uncle as he greeted and hugged them both. "Girls you remember your cousin Hermione don't you," said Carrie as she gave the girls pointed looks.
Amber and Jenny then looked over to where their cousin stood just in the door way. The two cousins couldn't believe their eyes for instead of their bushy haired buck toothed nose in a book cousin stood a young women neither girl recognized.
This women was tall, so skinny that if standing beside an anorexic the anorexic would look slightly plump, her eyes were sunken in and all of the life in them were gone, and her once bushy thick hair was matted and terribly thin.
To say they were stunned would be an understatement they couldn't believe their eyes. "Hey Hermione how are you," said Amber as she went to hug her cousin. "Hi Hermione," said Jenny. When Amber hugged her cousin she felt Hermione flinch in her arms.
This alarmed Carrie who was watching the three cousins exchange for Hermione has always been the hugging type person. "So Jean why don't you help me with lunch, John Robert is in the back yard, and Hermione dear why don't you go with your cousins into the living room," said Carrie trying to defuse the tension.
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The three girls went into the living room with Amber and Jenny taking the lead with Hermione trailing behind. "So Hermione how are you," asked Amber trying to strike a conversation with her cousin."I'm fine,"answered Hermione briskly. "Where will I be sleeping," asked Hermione suddenly as her older cousins were wondering what was wrong with Hermione. "Oh um follow me," said Jenny looking oddly at Hermione.
She left the room with her two cousins following close behind. They got to the end of the second floor."Your right in here with Amber and I," Jenny said. Hermione walked inside with her things and sat on the bed closest to the window at the far end of the room."Hermione, are you coming back down with us," asked Amber after a moment of uncomfortable silence.
Hermione's head snapped up at her cousin's voice."I'm tired will you tell my parents I'm resting until supper," she inquired. The other two girls nodded their heads before going downstairs.
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Hermione pulled out a picture once her cousins left. She smiled sadly at the picture. The picture contained three children two 11 year olds and one 12 year old.
It was a picture taken by Hagrid of Hermione and her two best friends Harry and Ron. In the picture they were happy and carefree.
It was taken before Nicholas Flamel. Before the war restarted. She smiled weakly with tears in her eyes as she held that picture. "We were so innocent," she said."But that all changed didn't it," she asked bitterly to no one in particular.
She put the picture away and laid down on the bed crying softly as she thought of the war, her friends, and death.
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Amber and Jenny found their aunt and uncle in the kitchen with the other adults."Aunt Jean, Uncle John Hermione said to tell you guys that she is resting until supper," Amber informed them. John and Jean Granger exchanged worried looks that did not go unnoticed by the others.
"Jean, John why does Hermione look so sickly," asked Carrie. John stormed to the backyard mumbling to himself."She's had a rough year," Jean answered sadly not daring to look anyone in the face."What happened to her," asked Carrie.
But before Jean could answer they all heard a painful scream from upstairs.
Everyone ran upstairs even John to find Hermione flailing her body screaming out in pain."We found it I swear," she screamed in her sleep."John call the boys," demanded Jean as the others stood in terror at the sight in front of them.
Nobody had a dry eye by the time John returned with two boys. One of the boys had red hair the other one had messy raven hair. The red head rushed forward holding into Hermione."Shh, Shh," he soothed as he stroked her hair. The raven haired boy held onto her arms trying to stop her from moving."Hush Mione it's over she's gone," he said to her softly with some forcefulness in his voice. She started to calm down after nearly an hour of the boys holding onto her.
The boy with the messy raven hair looked up after about an hour and a half. He looked over at Jean and John. "We're taking her back to the Borrow," he said with authority. The elder Grangers nodded. The red haired boy picked up Hermione bridal style and all three of them left the house.
------------------------------------- "What happened," stammered Carrie as the others looked on with terror. "She was tortured," answered John blank faced as Jean started to sob. Amber and Jenny looked at each other terrified by what they just saw. Robert was the next to speak. "What do you mean tortured?"
